Gemma Coghill interview

Summary

Gemma coghill fights her last novice fight at Akuma this weekend We talk about this weekend and her activity in the near future

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I have another fighter from Akuma Fighting Championship. They call it the big GC is what I see everywhere. Backed by popular demand. Second highest viewed video on YouTube just underneath Brian Manning and Sean Kelly >> when they went together. Um, so obviously we talked about we only talked there recently, but you talked about wanting to get on Akuma and want to be active. How did this fight come about? was it's it it wasn't we we only talked about a month ago and it wasn't happening and now it is. Uh how did this fight come about? I >> think it just they had posted a story listing what they had and then the girl Lena she replied I think and put herself forward and then that was it. Just waited on the coach's confirmation and then it was good to go. >> And how excited were you once you kind of knew it was getting together because like you said you wanted to be active. You we'll talk about how active you're going to be as well but how excited were you when you got the call? Well, I I kept asking Dar every two seconds like is it have they accepted yet? No. Haven't heard. Haven't heard. And then he texted me saying fight's going ahead for a Kuma. I sent him a voice note. Just squealing down the vote. >> I was buzzing. So buzzing. >> It's it's it's a fantastic card. They've got we just talked about before we came on. There's like three female fights on which is really really good to see. It's really good obviously for yourself and the other five girls that are involved in these fights that there is so many options in in the future going forward. How are you finding that being in this space in MMA right now when the women's scene is is really starting to elevate and people like Stephen having three fights helps it elevate as well? It's exciting. It's cool. Like normally the couple of shows I've been to, there's been one or none, maybe two at a stretch. So the fact that there's three or I don't know if it is four, I think it is three on it, it's classic and then more going forward. Obviously there's just going to be more and more. And then obviously male show. It's all female card. Like that's going to be such a good day out. I can't wait. >> Yeah. Know it's it's just is really good. I really like what she's done there. I'm going to be going up to that show cuz I've been a part of Mel's journey for for a long time and this is just another step. And what she's done I think for females up north because obviously Neve has done it down south with the Valkyries >> um and now doing it up north. She's got so many fights on. She's got >> she's got you match now as well. She's got a really big fight with Rachel and Vicki, which is a stomper of a fight. >> I know. >> How does it feel? Obviously, we're not skipping past Auma, but how does it feel to be part of that show? It's going to be kind of one of a kind up there with all females. Like, what what's that like as a female in this >> for? It's really, really exciting. And like I've been saying to all my friends and all the like all the girls that I know like you just need to come like it's going to be a good girl day. She's got a DJ and all coming. It's going to be belter. I can't wait. >> It is like she's got so many fights matched at the minute. I just looking at it go it seems to be going smoothly but obviously behind the scenes I know what what the promoters go through but no fair play to her she's after doing it sent up she done that asparing day and and obviously from that she was able to take information and stuff which would help her match the show but Akuma obviously coming up what was your weight like did you have to cut much weight coming up for this this show or you always near your kind of fighting weight >> I sort of I had my hopes up that it was going to happen anyway so I did then obviously I went after that last fight I went on a all-inclusive holiday. So, I did get a wee bit fluffy from that. Um, but I just went straight back into the diet then in hopes that it was going to happen. So, I wasn't far off. But then women's in their cycle like it just went a bit ts up there last week, the week before, but we're finally back down. So, all is good. It's calm. We're on point. >> Yeah, I I've talked to to people about that before and it's just one of those things that >> it's just you can't control it either. You just have to let it kind of get through and see where you lie after. But it's a really good show. I'm looking forward to it. But >> like I said, you are quite active. You're going to be making your amateur debut at your fighting championship. >> Another show I really, really like. Decky Molina is so good to work with and he's so good at matchmaking. How does it feel? Obviously, you've got this fight coming forward and we're not looking past your opponent, but how does it feel knowing you're going to be making that amateur step in the notsodistant future? It's nerve-wracking a bit because it it's like the next stage of like this career that have just started and it's like oh my god. But I'm so excited. I do. And you know what? I can't wait to grind and pound like to the face. I can't wait. >> Obviously, it's something you work on in the gym. How hard is it? Cuz when I watch the the novice fights and you see them go to ground and I do agree with not doing head shots cuz you know people might not go past novice. might not go past amateur and you don't want people get getting hit in the head, but it looks really kind of bizarre. I don't want to say bizarre, but know when get someone to the ground and you're having to go to the body like when you're doing that obviously you do in training you do the ground pound. How hard is it to hold back your shots from going to to the head? >> Well, sure. The first fight she lets me and I took her in clinch and then took her down and I hit her in the face then so I had to stop and get up and start again and I think then that sort of taught me my lesson. So that last one when I did get on top of Caitlyn then it was just hitting her to the body like I don't know it is a bit weird but you have to do what you have to do. So I'm so excited just to let loose. >> I love it >> is I I find with the body shots people try and just they they they throw for the sake of it but there was someone I watched recently in a novice fight and they really laid into the body. They put knees into the body as well which is something that you don't really see at novice. Um, I don't know whether it's against the rules or not, but >> they they when you're on the ground, you can you can knee and punch to the body. It's just the head. You can't go near the head. >> Yeah. No, cuz the knee I've never seen a novice use the actual knee to the body, though. And I was sitting there going, "Oh, man. That that's the hurting the ribs." But >> you're looking to let loose. You're going to be on your What What's it going to be like fighting on a show like that? Obviously, you've seen uh like the likes of Dara and your teammates fight on it and it's a very good show, one of the best in the country. What's making your answer debut on that show or does it does it matter about the show or is it just getting the reps in? >> It's nice it being on the what do you call it? Your is that how you say it? >> Yeah. Right. Well, it's nice being on your because I trained down in team Torres as well. So, I know Jackie and stuff and I say it from the getgo even though my first one was on Clan Wars. I couldn't the first sort of step in my whole manifestation thing was like I'm going to get on Clan Wars in 2025. So, I took that off and then once I done that, I was like, "Right, I want to get on Daki's show." And I just think everything happens for a reason. And I'm making my debut on that show because I'm supposed to and I'm so excited. >> Yeah. Yeah. Everything's falling into place. And then you've got Mel as well. So, usually when I talk to females, they're talking about trying to find a fight and how hard it is. How l I don't want to say lucky, but how do you feel excited and happy do you feel that you've got three matches lined up? Because that's very hard to find kind of in the female scene. I'm buzzing and I suppose I have sort of been lucky like I only started competing W in when was my first fight? March. I so between March and then the end of September I'll have had five fights. Five fights in seven months in my first like my first year competing. I got some going >> Yeah, it is like that guys women are finding it hard to get matched and sometimes obviously you're coming in there seems to be an influx coming in. So, I think over the next few years, we're going to have a lot of very good evenly matched fights with the females as well. And we put out the other day on Instagram, >> obviously, people to ask you questions. So, I'm going to ask you a few of these questions here as well. There's no rude ones. There's all >> Where is it? So, who do I have first here? >> What's it like training with guys like Darth Tolman who are known for their intensity? Whenever you go into Spar on a Sunday and you see Dar wrapping your hands, you're instantly like, "Oh here we go." Especially if you're on the fight team because you know he's going to want rounds with you. But it's a we bit nerve-wracking at the same time cuz you know as well like he's probably sizing you up a bit, you know, to see where you're at. Like the first time I ever sparred, I remember saying, "Oh my  god." And I think I landed one job the whole time. But listen, he didn't. Did he talk me out that time? Don't know if he did, but I know the last time I sp me out, so I was like, that's a win. That is a win in my eyes. >> Yeah. No, >> do you know what? I I like sparring with the boys. Like, they don't go Some of them go easy, but you just tell them like, "Don't go that easy. I'm a girl, but I'm not going to break." Like, and I think by now training with them and stuff, they do know that I can take it. So, it's nice. And then when I do get to train my girls, then it's even nicer cuz it's something different. Yeah, it you'd be more like that. You shouldn't be going full force on anyone in training whether it's a male a male or male. You need to take care of each other and like that. Do you find it frustrating when they go a little bit soft to you? Like come on, just like spar like you'd usually spar. >> Yeah. Well, the way I say it is like let me work but don't try and kill me in the process like I am different to you as well but let me let me work but don't let me win sort of thing. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, I get you. I get you. Another question. How do you stay so consistent and what keeps you motivated? >> Um, I suppose motivated wise, I know what I want to achieve. Like once I sort of got into the MMA and knew I wanted to compete, like I know I want to go the full way like and I am. I'm 30 now. So, not that I'm on a time limit because I don't think that really matters, but I want to just get going. I want to make it happen quick. Um, consistency, I think. Does anybody ever stay fully consistent? You don't. You just have to have the willpower to be able to say, "Right, I don't want to do that today, but I have to. Who else is going to make me do it? I have to make myself do it." So, you have to do it. And you always feel better after. So, I think once you realize that once you go to the gym, do that workout, even if even if it's a  workout, it's still better than no workout. Do you know what I mean? So, and I know a benefit from it, and I know what the cause is, and I know what I'm trying to reach, so it has to be done. >> Yeah. No, 100%. It's It's not even about motivation. Whereas years ago, everyone said motivation. I was it is discipline more so when you think about it like >> no one's going to do it for you like no one's going to get you out of bed. They're not going to bring you training. It's up to you if you want to get to where you want to get to. Only you can put the work in it. And that's what makes it quite lonely sometimes and hard. But like I said, it's work, especially when it comes fight night and you get your hand raised. Um but what else do we have here? What does it feel like being a female fighter representing a mostly male-based club? Well, as I keep saying, I am now the queen of New era. I'm the only fighting girl like at the minute on the fight team and the I think the first one that they've had really. So, it's nice and I do feel a sense of pride as in like I'm a like trailblazer for the ones in Luren. There's no other girl doing MMA in Luren like competing actively like Sabina on in our club as well. She's trying to get into it too like proper. She's got her first fight and male show. So, she's obviously hoping to make the walk MMA soon, so that'll be nice for her. But it's just I just feel like I don't know. I'm just the queen. >> It's great. >> The queen. And and obviously being the kind of only female competing that might lead to other girls competing. And how would that make you feel if someone did join the club off the back of what you're doing? >> Oh, it would make me really really happy. Do you know what? see from I sort of started and cuz I am quite public on the internet and all and talking about my fights and my wins and I do have quite a lot of support even when I go in for like coffees and things places people say to me are you that girl that does the cage fighting and I'm like yes I am and then they'll say oh you know is there women's classes on I'm getting more and more people asking and I've spoke to like so after a few amateur fights I'll maybe start a women's class up and see if we can get a few people in. I just need to figure out what I'm doing first because I still don't have a clue. Look, I'm just winging it. >> Everybody's winging it. I just wing it in life now the past 40 years nearly as well. So, um but yeah, hopefully you will like that cuz you seen I think Mel when she started fighting, she started the women's class and you see it kind of with the likes of Irma Darcy and all these people in all these other clubs once they kind of get up there and they're fighting and people are are realizing that it's there. You don't have to compete. I think that's one of the biggest things. I think people think you go to an MMA gym, you have to compete. But like you said, how many women >> would be in your gym that are there that don't compete? Cuz I'd say there's a few. Is there? >> Um there's only really who would actively train? Probably Sabina and then my friend Zoe. They would train, but they don't compete. Zoe would love to compete, but she's just she's she's only like 44 kilos. She doesn't make she's not heavy enough to make the weight. She's a we leprechaun. She's a we furry from Cork. She's so funny. But she um she would love the fact that she can't. She's trying to put on weight. So hopefully someday. >> Yeah, hopefully. Because actually I know a girl like that. I think she's 46 or 48 and she has to come up to like 52 and then she she's overmatched. Um what is the next question? >> Your favorite martial art to train? Jiu-jitsu, wrestling, or striking? >> I don't know. I think I'm just an all round MMA. That's what I started doing. because some people start off obviously kickboxing or Muay Thai or jiu-jitsu and then they filter into MMA. I started just MMA. So I think all around I loved the jiu-jitsu for a while like that was my favorite but now I'm sort of coming into my my way with a striking too. I love it as well. I just love it all. Yeah, because like that years ago it would have been like you said kickboxers or boxers or jiu-jitsu lads and they would have crossed over to MMA whereas now when you go into clubs >> you do have those separate classes but there's more MMA classes where like some positions in jiu-jitsu don't work in MMA normally you know that way because you can strike and stuff like that. So it it's mostly MMA classes now but I I wouldn't be one for probably none of them because I probably get whooped at all of them. But um yeah, it's going to you're fighting this weekend as well. Um is there anything that you have in store for this one? Like have you looked at your opponent or are you just going in to to do your own thing? >> I don't really look at them. I sort of obviously when they're first sent over, you go and you have a quick look, but I don't fixate on it at all. I think you have to sort of have the mindset that they're going to be as good as you or better no matter who they are. It doesn't matter what their credentials are. like you just have to go in with the mindset that they're going to give you as good as you're going to give and you just have to be ready for a scrap. Like you can't undermine anybody. So I don't think there's really much point in looking >> and yeah like cuz like you said if you know from fight to fight from novice and amateur to like one fight to the next how much people can improve like if you didn't fight for six months and you were training away you'd be completely different fighter one from the other. So, I don't think there's I think there is you look at them a little bit, see what they're good at or what they do all the time. But I think sometimes people fixate too much and I think you as a fighter need to put your own style and stamp on the fight rather than worry about what someone else is going. >> I think if you train enough and you just be prepared for anything, that's that's what you need to do. You need to be ready for somebody that's a striker. You need to be ready or they're going to try and take you down. You need to be ready. It's their game going to be game. So, you need to work on how you're going to get up again or whatever. Like you just have to be ready for all scenarios like you can't and you see people sometimes where you look at them and you hang right there jiu-jitsu they've got all these belts or whatever but then they come out in the strike. So how how do you know? >> Yeah. No, I've seen fights like that where you expect someone to go to ground and then it stood up and then it's like okay what's going on here? But like that you have to be ready for everything like you said. I'm going to let you go. Thank you so much for joining me. Is there anything you want to say before you go as well? Good luck this weekend. Um I'm not 100% sure if we're going to be there. the 50/50, but I would love to see you fight in person. Anything you want to say before you go? >> Just tune in at the weekend for a show. Big GC is coming. >> Perfect. I can't wait to see it. Whether it's on pay-per-view or live, I will see it. Thank you again for your time and uh best of luck. Like I said, >> no problem, Nardio. Thank you.